False Sense of Security

Recently, my parents home was broken into. They were returning home one Sunday evening after church to find someone coming out of the main hallway. A chase ensued and the robber managed to get out the door and escaped. What is even more frightening is the fact that this is the second time this happened. After the first robbery, my parents installed an alarm system in their home. You are wondering did the alarm go off the second time? No. The second intruder managed to find a weak point in the system and used it to his advantage. You may say that is a frightening story, but what is the point. The point is this; both times my parents were robbed, they had a sense of security. The first time they were relying on the years they have lived in that same location without having an issue. Growing up, I can remember leaving the doors unlocked all the time. It was a sense of security that is based on history. "Well, it has never happened so chances are it won't." That is fine until it does. Like my parents you feel violated. Everything you trusted seems to be examined. Why is that? It happens because you had a false sense of security. People around you get robbed all the time, you see it on the news and hear about, but it will never happen to you. It never has in all these years, so surely it won't now. And it does. But it shouldn't be a big surprise. We have all the warning signs; the police advise us to take measures and the news informs us so we be aware. Never fails, every time that sense of security is broken we begin to do what we should have done in the first place. So, now you have a security system in place. You took the step to secure your home and those in your home. What happens? We slip into another sense of security. It is the same sense, but with a different reason. Last time it was based on history; this time it is based on the security system you installed. But the feeling of security is the same. You rest, relax and go on with your life. Until you walk in one night and meet someone who is not suppose to be there! Immediately your sense of security is gone. Only this time is different. Last time you can say, "well, I did not have anything to prevent it." This time you are saying, "But I had something that should have prevented it." Then you ask the question, "Can I ever feel safe again?" What you are doing is identifying the fact that you realize nothing is 100% safe. What about Christianity? American Christian have been tricked into believing that following Jesus Christ is safe. "If you will just say a prayer, everything will be ok." We have been tricked into believing our Christian faith will be a walk in the park on a bright sunny day with a Jesus who has blond hair and blue eyes, always ready to answer our call. We have been tricked into believing that a Lion can become a house cat. Religious leaders have been more concerned with pacifying "the patient" than preparing the participate. We have rocked, not only the modern day Christian, but the outside observer to sleep. We have assured them that Jesus will take care of everything and every storm will be calmed. We have tricked ourselves into a false sense of security. Like the initial robbery, that sense of security maybe based on history. "Nothing has happened this far, so nothing will probably ever happen." The sense of security may also be based on some device that we are trusting to make sure nothing ever happens. This would be things like church membership, church attendance or activity in every ministy you can think of. As long as you are punching in the prescribed codes everything is going to be ok. The bible calls that false doctrine. We again see it play out all around us but really believe it will never happen to us. We read the reports about Christians losing their lives for sharing Jesus Christ with other, but that will never happen to us. We read Christian history and have records of persecutions but have trick ourselves into believing it will never happen to us. Until one day it does. Typically speaking, when the average Christian in America has this false sense of security exposed, they fall apart. Many lock themselves up in a "safe room" and refuse to come out, while others install more and more devices to prevent it from happening again. In both cases, they are only investing more into that false doctrine of security. Jesus never gives the illustion of this security in this world. In fact, He is very clear that if we follow Him we will never be safe. In Luke 7 beginning in verse 18, John the Baptist was in jail facing death. He sends his disciples to find Jesus and give a report. They do. What Jesus does next is counter culture. Instead of running to rescue His faithful disciple John, as we expect Him to do for us, He sends John's disciples back to him with a report of all that He was doing and these words, "And anyone who is not offended (turned away) because of Me is blessed." Wow! What we see is that Jesus did not run and save John from certain death. Jesus is not a vending machine. He gave a report and a word for John and then He turned to the crowd and testified of John's faithfulness unto death. Are you kidding me? Jesus knew John was going to die, but He also knew that those who follow Him are not safe in this world. Jesus is the Lion of Judah, there is NOTHING safe about a lion. And no, lions do not make good house cats. Jesus assures Peter that he will die for His name sake. The New Testament is clear that following Jesus is NOT a safe proposition. Paul makes this very clear as well in Romans 8:16,17, "The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children, and if children, also heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ - seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (HCSB) To know Jesus and be know by Him is to suffer with Him. That is not safe. James begins his writtings with the instruction to "count it joy" whenever you suffer for the name of Jesus. Peter tells us "don't be surprise by it." Paul tells the Ephesians to prepare for it. The fact of the matter is that following Jesus is the most dangerous thing you will do in this world. It is not jumping out of a plane, off a bridge or even fishing on the Bering Sea, it is surrendering your life completely to Jesus Christ. It is time we stop pacifying the patients and preparing the participates. It is time that we stop being tricked into the false doctrine that Jesus is safe and following Him is safer. It is time that we stop falling apart or being surprised when we are in danger. Jesus says to His disciples, "I am sending you out as sheep among wolves." Some sheep will die, other will be scarred and others wounded. Three Israelites found themselves in an oven, Daniel in a lion pit, Paul beaten near death and the list goes on. So why are we hiding in safe churches that have become "safe rooms" and hiding places? Why are we trying to preserve what is suppose to be dead already? Why are we so surprise when we find the "enemy" trying to rob our house? Jesus is dangerous and following Him is as dangerous. Yet it is the safest place you can be! The Apostle Paul goes on in Romans 8 to say, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us." (HCSB) This is the hope, "Who can separate us from the love of Christ?" Our security is only real when it is in Jesus Christ. Anything other than that is false. How do you know where that security is? When you find yourself in dangerous waters. It will be then that you reveal where you placed your trust. Dear reader, Jesus was not safe then and is not safe now. Accept the reality that following Him will cost you everything and gain you eternity. Those who reject this false doctrine of security in this world will live dangerous lives. They will begin to turn the world they live in upside down with the Gospel. But until then we will continue to live false lives with false hopes.